New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-10-02
THE GODDESS VISITORS.
NOT 30 NUMEROUS AS THEY WERE.

Of IeeI ~ was u0vc1led on bo01oWv AioBs Aos %
essly and naturally has II fsiea into the setting Of
the hzrbor thas 1t ~ hard 10 fsney thst the big
brouse figure was not always there. The beuspg OF
the tori had eooa deal 70 do, doubs, with tho
iBodesty with which the Goddess faded cut into tbs
light of common day. glazing beacsn, sueh - tire
inaginahsn of many critics bad pictured, tho e'g
hgus might yet be striking beholdess with ave and
amaxement. Al . plain harbor Light at night and .
quiet faro bit OF ssa.uary by cay, the Goddess ~:
gained In dignity and finish what she lost m sort OF
strange aud picturesque efsstivenesa. There can DO
little question aoout the wisdom OF the change ~
nu, although IL has lett the statue TIME hess the
dominating feature of the harbor than it might have
been.
Few big undertakings are whole years wohder
aud It Ia OILY natural that the Statue OF Liberty
should be falling and moro Into conventionai
harbor landmark. Such, In fact, u 10; ana tnoug
the boats still run down from the Barge omee dahy
with fair sprnkng of sightseers, ore can reel tnat
Bnrholdrs work has lost its freshness for all bus
few strangers and enthusiasts The sail these nov
DAYS pleasant one and the arr at the isisno cor
aud salty. That the statue rs there III s""e'n'As'
but not all that IL used to be.
Things on the leland look much % they da inc daJ
sitter the unveiIing The same rosgh wooden STAIRS
lead up from tho pier to the outer TsmPsTss, o'ef
which the same useless sx-gun battery fro"ne
Across tes narrow nterspace are the ole ssars1apco
granite walls of Fort Wood, with their cur1ous
winding saliyporta They will be hidden eouse esy
by tbs big embankment which Is to slope IRON INC
sea wall MP to the statues base There are no asns
of such terrace now ami the walls stand out IS bald
and dull % ever against the lighter polished
of the pedestal The cemeutfaced layers Oh the S'S
will be covered, too, in time. They sho" sas '.e.
and dark stfeaks Of stormy winter In rude con'tss
from the water with the stone snd uhen'Sns'ns
bronze above Even tho wooden platform - sui
standing under che south facs of the pedestal from
which unlucky orators faced the mist aud ram ON
the day of tie unveiing and struggled against 'n'
whistle, of the fleet Of tags The same narrow wooueh
staircase runs up to the doorway OF tho peaes's'
There is elevator Ds Ia The sene steps are nhro
climb, and get further than the goddesss
heel without permit from the American Committee
The American Committee it turns out. u Sill IN
charge OF the statue. though the Government
nomnally owns it. good deal of braeing has 10 DC
done yet inside the big figure and the terracne OUT
aide, for which the committee Is Responsible mas nov
been begun. No money il on hand, and there Is
little chancs OF raising any The ndcfa gable secre-
tsry Richard Batter. longer comes down 10 over
see and admire. But there is every other evidence
hat things still " in stau QUO"
One misses the crowds. of course, that used TO
struggle down to the island the orerloaded steam
boats last fall, and the hustle OF the workmen hammer
ing away high up the head and shoulders Oh the
big unfinished goddess. The last bolt was driven
and the last rivet placed eight months ago, and the
shrilest sound nowadays the qliet island IL ths
morning bugle OF the little squad oil infantry tna'
garrisons It, The artillerynen from the harbor iorts
found lie too dull and lonely under the SHADOW Oh
the big beacon and less favored company OF IN
fantry was brought down FROM Saeketfs Harbor to
relieve them. There is guard usual, on the pier
at the base OF the statue another at the base
of the big bronze figure itself The post commandant
has headquarters in rambling brick building oehino
the old tort and the soldiers lounge in the little grove
of weeping willows still further back and looking
toward Commun nav. No military post duty could DO
lighter or the great part OF the year duler; ana
the garrison looks melf ncholy enough except on hne
summer days. Saturdays and Sundays enemy wnen
the boat brings over q big load OF visitors ana tue
island ia CAV once moro with sight-seers from 'no
country or jolly East Size picnckers
Ii wa scarcely to be expected. however, that last
talps ush OF -ishtseers Bcdows Island would con-
Time through the winter and spring The JUG reia'
the steam cannl-b which the American committee
chartered ran we'll into December and made money
on nearly every trim The biz steamer Florence too
helped out the Field holidays and Sundays ana
between them thousands OF passengers were carried
weekly to the island long alter the canvas mask fhu
the tricolor veil had been lifted from the goddess
lace.
This spring the Florence took up her regular trips
again IRON the Barge Ofiee. running hourly III lac
mornings and atteruooss There were few passengers
AT frat. but with the summer months when people
from the country thiokest IN New-fork. steady
stream OF sight-seers began to show ITSELF anc 20
pleasant il the sail the bay ana oack ana 80
torch at quarters tnnt within the last two weeks
an extra night line has been put and the passage
may be made up to 10 p. H. The American COMMIT
tee pefs the profits the steamboat excursions and
the fund thus ascruing the ongdelaJ ed terrace
will. perhaps, eventually be built.
Most of the visitors to Bedlow's Island nowadays
are people from the country stopping over tor day
or Two ia New-York What they don't know about
the harbor from the gudeboo Is scarcely worth
knowing and the talk they hazard from the deck OF
the steamer as IL leaves tae Barge Office is often most
refreshing.
u guess that be Staten Island" said hayseedy
looking OLD gentleman the other day TO his wide-
mouthed family OF six. Sir kastus Wymen or
some such nvbeman owns the hull OF It,
An mebbe that's one OF them towers of Babylun
that we hearn Cousin jimmy a-talkin about" he con-
tinued Jerking hIs finger at Cistle william wall,
never. | ion't Brooklyn Bridge down here,
though II oughter be pretty in front OF u.s. That's
tho East River what runs west, really jus IA the
North River runs south Blamed eft kin tangle her
ont ,icht see the Goddess OF Liberty rlain cnnuf,
and thems tho Narrows what's behind her, wnese you
see the smoke a hangn'. Must be ConeJ Island there
with the llls onto It, but DON'T seem 10 hnd tast
Brooklyn Bridge nohow
The Old man gased care fully again around the
horizon His idea OF a bridge sort OF u pontoou
with draw lie tell the real Bridge at last from
tho pier at Bedlow's Island, fine, gauzy network,
.howins against the black roofs aud spires and the
sky beyond lie didn't say word, but stared at IL
hl.,kIv ,,r five minutes and then tor five minutes
wore Mt the goddess and tue people OF Wsybsck will
hardly be able to tell next winter when OF the wo il
the greatest OF the modern ses en- wonders
The little parris III is something of sile-show aud
- Al tho srht-seers DRIFT back to the restaurant in
the bsadouarters building, where there is pleasant
martial 1ayor even to the beer and ice cream. The
n,er ia probably of the Coney Island "sed-foam
-, hi, 4, tastes better under the and with
ont the steam CA liope accompaniment The Bedlow's
nj nost tradersh DO the most lucrative in
ts -, ~ the government There rival lunch
t.rJs 70 compete with, and other attractions
nrutraze except lemonadestand, shooting gallery
and the big goddess
But the goddess is, after all tie real thing on Bed
,ow,s Is,and and her charo.s will always be some
tbinr of n surprise those who take the trouble
make the old harbor tort visit. BY day she is the
s,a,aIv large lmbed torch-hearer, set in the easy
Grting frame OF tho broad hasrbor a figure fuu of
dignity and noble suggestion BY night-whateyer